Choosing a seminary is an important decision you have to make when deciding to pursue vocational ministry. Whichever institution you select may indeed transform and shape your theological views and beliefs for future ministry. Although seminaries have their own method and purpose for equipping pastors of the church, it should (or must?) be a seminary that can prepare you to be grounded in the Bible, to do proper hermeneutics, to deal with the real-life ministry, and to challenge you in your spiritual disciplines.
Over the years, some of my friends share their seminary experience with me. They said that the seminary was too academic (i.e. focused too much on the scholarly side) and it did not put much emphasis on the practice. Some of them said that their institution was theologically liberal so they had read some books that contradict with their beliefs. Recently, there was a book written called “15 Things That Seminary Couldn’t Teach Me.” That book is not meant to undermine seminary training; it is simply describing some of the lessons and skills that the contributors had to learn on their own when they were pastoring. That led me to this conclusion: there is no such thing as a “perfect” seminary.
I finished my four-year program with Northwest Baptist Seminary known as Immerse. I do not have time to explain why I chose this program, but it does attempt to put a balance between academic and practice. My training is mostly situated in the context of the local church. For instance, I would do my reading and writing on the topic of the Trinity. Afterward, I have to teach a series on the Trinity to the people at my church (the lessons were tough to prepare).
Now that I am officially graduating, I want to share with you seven lessons I’ve learned from seminary (Immerse). I chose seven because it symbolizes perfection and completeness in the Bible.
1. Immerse taught me to PERSEVERE in different seasons of life.
Immerse was like running a long marathon. There were challenging and difficult seasons where I wanted to give up. Few people in my life have seen me at my low point. I cannot help but continuously pray Psalm 16:1, “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.” I am grateful for the people who prayed for me to finish my projects, interviews and papers/reports. It is good to surround yourself with a few people who can support, encourage and pray.
2. Immerse taught me that KNOWLEDGE is not the end of all things.
Do not get puffed up with knowledge (1 Cor 8:1). Don’t get me wrong; I love reading the Bible, read theological books, and writing a broad spectrum of pastoral ministry. All my mentors recognize that I am an academic fellow, and it is good to be grounded in my biblical and theological knowledge. However, they always challenged me to consider how the church would perceive this knowledge that I want the saints to know. How do I help them embrace this knowledge? Why should they care about the importance of this knowledge?
3. Immerse taught me to GET OVER MYSELF.
I bet not many seminaries do intense assessments and evaluations on their students – strengths and weaknesses – but Immerse is indeed not afraid to get up in your face and tell you who you truly are. For example, because you are placed in the local church setting, working alongside the senior pastor, he may address your character flaws, be concerned about the certain ways you do ministry, what is or is not working for you, and skills that you can improve on. Immerse wants to produce the best leaders and pastors to serve the church. Indeed, my mentors, my peers, and other assessments have helped me understand myself better. I needed humility, and I needed to be humble. So, Get Over Myself! Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Oh, how I need the deep, deep love of Jesus and His sovereign grace.
4. Immerse taught me to MANAGE MY SCHEDULE.
My program does not follow the traditional education system. I do not necessarily have a syllabus with all the deadlines. I need to set up deadlines for my homework instead of the professors. Even though I preferred Immerse giving out due dates, managing my schedule is an essential skill for being a pastor (and for any other vocations)! I use Google Calendar and Reminders more often than before so that I can prioritize my time and manage my week with God, my wife, church work, Immerse work, and so forth.
5. Immerse taught me to reflect on my CALLING to vocational ministry.
At this point in life, God is calling me to pastoral ministry. But, He can lead me elsewhere. When I was studying Scripture in university, God gave me the desire to teach the Bible. In 1 Timothy 3:1, Paul says to Timothy that “if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” If the natural aspiration and desire disappear, then perhaps the Lord has another significant assignment for me. Some of my mentors said (not prophesied) that maybe I have the potential to become a biblical scholar.
When I came into Immerse, I knew I wanted to be a senior pastor, lead pastor, or pastor-teacher. Now that I’m done, all of my mentors said that I have the potential to lead a church, but I need more time for training and experience.
My communion with God must be my first priority. Should my joy be found in being a pastor, which is idolatrous, or being in a deep relationship with the triune God? No matter what my vocation would be, remaining faithful to Jesus is essential.
6. Immerse taught me to REAL-LIFE MINISTRY
The uniqueness of my program is that I am not situated on campus. Instead, I am doing my studies WHILE I am doing ministry at my local church. (I only need to attend a 2-day seminar four times per year) I get to serve and deal with real people. I get to understand the practical side of ministry while balancing the academic side. I am thankful that I get to teach classes and preach as a way to get “graded.” I have received helpful feedback from others about my performance, and I hope to grow from those experiences. My pastor taught me how to visit people in the hospital and care facilities. There are still a lot of areas in pastoral ministry that I have yet to be exposed, but real experience has to start somewhere!
7. Immerse taught me to embrace JESUS as my all in all
I’m not perfect. I made mistakes, and I have sinned against God and people in ministry. As I mentioned, there were times when I could not persevere anymore. But thankfully, God was not done with me yet. In my weakness, the grace of my Saviour becomes my strength, and His grace is sufficient. When all else fails, and when I fail, I need Jesus more and more. In my hardships, I need Jesus to strengthen me in my weakness. In my ministry success, I need Jesus to humble me. Scripture became more and more alive as I read, meditate, and memorize them. Guess what? Immerse was difficult, but I am thankful that Jesus, my good shepherd, never left me. I hope my love for Jesus has grown deeper over the past four years as I continue to abide in Him. By God’s grace, may I continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I am slowly blogging again. If you enjoyed this content, then please let me know!
Tommy Wong 